Adjustable paper support for accounting machines



Oct. 24,1944. w ANDERSON 2,361,003

{\DJUSTABLE PAPER SUPPORT FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed March 30, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR WALTER A. ANDERSON ATTORNEY Oct. 24, 1944. w. A; ANDERSON. 2,351,003

ADJUSTABLE PAPER SUPPORT FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES I Filed March 30, 1942 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 m RR m N NA w A R Patented Oct. 24, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ADJUSTABLE PAPER SUPPORT FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Walter A. Anderson, Bridgeport, Conn, assignor to Underwood Elliott Fisher Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application March 30, 1942, Serial No. 436,883

5 Claims.

= tate rapid insertion and removal of these cards,

and which may be readily adjusted from one position to another in either a vertical or horizontal direction, or both, to locate a particular space on an inserted card in printing position opposite the type bars.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel features .of construction and combinations of parts, the essential elements of which are set forth in appended claims, and a preferred embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form part of the specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a computing machine having a paper carriage embodying the present invention,

Figure 2 shows a record card and a portion of a tally strip and illustrates the type of work performed,

Figure 3 is a perspective View of the carriage, taken from the rear, and showing the improved card supporting and adjusting mechanism,

Figure 4 is a sectional elevation, taken from the left on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a partial sectional elevation, taken from the right, on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Referring to Figure 1, the computing machine I has the usual amount keys 2, operation controlling keys 3, motor bar 4, type bars 5 and carriage indicated generally at 6. Carriage 6 comprises a frame 8 (Figure 3) having side walls 9 and I between which are mounted the usual roller platen l3 around which paper l4 (Figure 4) from the tally supply roll I is fed for printing by type bars 5. Roll !5 is mounted on a rod l6 supported between rearwardly extending arms I! that are fixed on spaced tie rods !8 secured at their opposite ends in side walls 9 and Ill. Platen l3 may be rotated manually by a knob l2 secured to the platen shaft or automatically line space advanced by the usual pawl and ratchet wheel mechanism (not shown) operable during each machine cycle. Brackets l9 and 2B (Figure 3) secured on rods l8 adjacent Walls 9 and Ill extend outwardly from the walls and are formed with projections 2i and 22 respectively, between which are connected the opposite ends of a square rod 23 that supports the front feed card holding and adjusting mechanism.

The card holding mechanism comprises a chute 24- (Figure 1) having a flared throat 25 at its upper end to facilitate insertion of the cards 26. The body portion of the chute has a large aperture 21 in its front and rear walls so that substantially any portion of the printing surface of an inserted card may be presented to type bars 5, the bottoms 23 of the sides of the chute serving as stops for the bottom edge of the card. Chute 24 is mounted in front of platen l3 for adjustable movement upon rod 23 by brackets 3| and 32 secured on opposite ends of the back of the chute and having vertical slots 33 through which the rod extends. By this construction, since chute 24 is shorter than rod 23, the chute may be moved bodily along the rod to position an inserted card 26 horizontally with respect to type bars 5 and, by the provision of slots 33, the chute may also be moved upwardly or downwardly as required to position the card vertically with respect to the type bars.

The mechanism for holding the chute in adjusted position will now be described. A bail indicated generally at 34 is comprised of a rod 35 secured at its opposite ends between depending arms 36 and 31 that are each pivoted at 38 on brackets 3| and 32 respectively. Bail 34 is normally tensioned clockwise (Figures 1, 3 and 4) about pivots 38 by springs 4; connected between arms 36 and 37 and brackets 31 and 32 so that the forward edges of arms 36 and 31 engage the opposite rod 23 snugly embrace the rod underthe tension of springs 4| and latch the chute in any one of the vertical positions to which it may be adjusted. The recesses 42 in the left arm 36 (Figures 3 and 5) are of less depth than the recesses 42 in the right arm 31 (Figure 4) and, in addition to embracing rod 23, are also engageable within anyone of a series of spaced notches 44 provided in the back of rod 23 to latch chute 24 in any one of the horizontal positions to which it may be adjusted. The spacing between notches 44 corresponds to the spacing between the vertical lines on cards 26. A flange 45 (Figures 3 and 5) secured on the lower end of bracket 3i guides the lower end of arm 36 and holds this arm against lateral displacement incident to horizontal adjustment of the chute.

In operation, a card 26 is inserted in chute 24 with its bottom edge resting on stops 28. The particular space on the card in which it is desired to print is then adjusted into printing position opposite type bars 5 by the operator grasping rod 35 and tilting the bail 34 as shown in Figure 5 to withdraw recesses42 and shoulders! from engagement with notches 44 and rod 23. Arms 35 and 31 have forwardly extending projections 46 that engage studs 41 secured in brackets 3| and 32 to limit such movement of the bail. The chute is then free to be raised or lowered, or shifted horizontally to the right or to the left, or both, as may be required, until the desired printing space on the card lies opposite the type bars 5 whereupon the bail is released and springs 42 reengage the corresponding set of shoulders 40 with rod 23 and the corresponding recess 42 within the corresponding notch 44, to latch the parts in adjusted position.

' If the adjustment to be made is solely in a vertical direction and upwardly from a lower position, the beveled surfaces of shoulders 4!] permit such adjustment by simply lifting upwardly on rod 35, the beveled surfaces ofthe shoulders ratcheting over the corresponding beveled surface 43 of rod 23 until the desired position is reached. Also, if only an approximate lateral adjustment of the mechanism has been made, i. e., if the left arm 36 has not engaged one of the horizontally spaced notches 44, the operator need only exert a slight pull either to the left or to the right to effect an exact registration, springs 4| urging the arm 36 into latched position within theproper recess 44.

Referring now to Figure 2, it is noted that the mechanism lends itself very nicely to a record keeping operation wherein various items are listed upon the tally strip [4, a sub-total of the items printed, a record card 26 then inserted in the chute and the desired printing space on the card being properly adjusted opposite the printing type as above described, a total of the amount is printed in its proper space on. the record card.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form of embodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms all coming within the scope of the claims which follows.

What is claimed is:

1. In a paper carriage having a platen, a rod near the platen, a card holder shiftable horizontally and vertically on the rod to adjust the card transversely of and along the platen, and a springurged member on the card holder normally oooperating with the rod to retain the holder both in its horizontally and vertically. adjusted positions, said member and rod having formations interlockable and defining different horizontal and vertical positions of the holder.

2. In a paper carrier having a platen, a card positioning mechanism :includinga rod located near the platen, a chute for holding the card, said chute being readily shiftable both horizontally and vertically on the rod to present different portions of substantially the entire body of the card into printing position, and a single releasable latching means on the chute cooperating with the rod to locate the chute in shifted position,

said latching means being adapted to define relative line space positions.

3. In a paper carriage having a platen, a card supporting and positioning mechanism including a chute for receiving a card, a rod extending parallel to the platen, adjustable means for supporting the chute in such a manner that it may be moved horizontally and vertically on the rod, means for latching the chute in adjusted position on the rod, the supporting means including a bail pivoted on the chute, arms on the bail having a series of vertically spaced recesses for engaging the rod, a series of horizontally spaced notches in the rod engageable by one of the arms, and means normally urging the arms into engagement with the rod.

4. In a paper carriage having a platen, a card supporting and positioning mechanism including a chute for holding a card, a rod having a series of horizontally spaced notches therein, means connecting the rod and the chute in such a manner that the chute may be adjusted both vertically and horizontally on the rod, means pivoted on the connecting means for latching the chute in adjusted position, said latching means comprising a bail having arms with vertically disposed recesses, the recesses in one arm being deeper than the recesses in the other arm, and means normally urging the bail in a direction to cause the said other arm to enter one of the said notches and engage the rod.

5. In a paper carriage having a platen, a card supporting and positioning mechanism including a chute for holding a card, a rod having a series of horizontally spaced notches therein, means for connecting the rod and the chute in such a manner that the chute may be adjusted both vertically and horizontally on the rod, means pivoted on the connecting means for latching the chute in adjusted position, said latching means comprising a bail having arms with vertically disposed recesses, the recesses in one arm being deeper than the recesses in the other arm, and means normally urging the bail in a direction to cause the said other arm to enter one of the said notches and engage the rod, the recesses and the rod being beveled to permit ratcheting of the arms over the rod when the chute is being adjusted upwardly.

WALTER A. ANDERSON. 

